Discovery, Sony, IMAX Detail 3D Plans

Discovery Communications, Sony Corporation and IMAXCorporation formally announced Jan. 5 that they are forming a joint venture tocreate a 24-hour 3D television network in the U.S. to supply programming for new3D HD sets. However, they didn't provide any details on carriage with pay-TVoperators or the technical infrastructure behind the service.

Discovery says it will start talks with distributors Jan. 6, and that there are no carriage deals currently in place, though it expects the channel to be a broadly distributed entertainment channel, not a premium offering.

The partnershipaims to launch in the U.S. in 2011 with a mix of 3D-friendly content, includingnatural history, space, exploration, adventure, engineering, science andtechnology, motion pictures and children's programming from Discovery, SonyPictures Entertainment, IMAX and other third-party providers. It will alsoexplore international distribution opportunities in the future.

ESPN announced ESPN 3D earlier Tuesday (Jan. 5), but has only committed to that network through June, 2011. Discovery, Sony and Imax say they are committed to their project long term. On a conference call with reporters, Discovery founder John Hendricks likened the launch to that of Discovery HD Theater in 2002. Hendricks said that the network will target primarily early adopters for the first 24-36 months, people who will likely be the first to buy television sets that are 3D capable. After that, the target households will be the 20 million affluent homes in the U.S., after which the technology and the price point will likely be affordable to the average consumer.

"That marketplace will come up pretty quickly, and then you start rolling out to the masses," Hendricks said. "In 2002, with the HD channel, few would be projecting we would be in 40 million homes by now."

The channel will require specialized glasses like one would wear at a movie theater 3D screening, though Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer said they expect 3D sets that do not require glasses to be available in about 3-5 years.

"We intend to create the right experience, they are going to want to put on glasses," said Imax CEO Richard Gelfond.

The companies also say the channel will require about 6 megahertz of bandwidth. That's about the size of a standard analog cable channel, but they can get two or three HDs down that capacity using 256-QAM Modulation.

The companies have signed a non-binding letter of intent toform the JV, and have not released financial details of the agreement.Discovery, Sony, through its U.S.affiliate, Sony Corporation of America,and IMAX each will be equal partners. Governance for the joint venture will behandled by a board of directors comprised of members from each of the threecompanies, with the day-to-day operations run by a separate staff andmanagement team reporting to that board. The JV has already begun searching fora general manager to run the venture's general manager will begin immediately.

"Discovery's business strategy has always focused ondelivering groundbreaking content through new platforms, including the firstsuite of digital channels launched in 1996 and the first 24/7 basic cable HDchannel in 2002," said Discovery Founder and Chairman John Hendricks in astatement. "Now, as Discovery celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2010 as theworld leader in satisfying curiosity and bringing audiences the most realisticviewing experience, we continue to change the face of television with the launchof the first-ever 24/7 dedicated 3D television network."

Discovery will provide network services, including affiliatesales and technical support functions, as well as 3D television rights toDiscovery content and cross-promotion across its portfolio of 13 U.S.television networks. Sony will provideadvertising/sponsorship sales support, and seek to license TV rights to currentand future 3D feature films, music-related 3D content and game-related 3Dcontent, while providing cross-promotion at retail stores. IMAX also will license television rights tofuture 3D films, offer promotion through its owned-and-operated movie theatersacross the U.S.,and provide a suite of proprietary and patented image enhancement and 3Dtechnologies.

Discovery's involvement in the 3D venture is not surprising,as Discovery executives have privately mentioned their interest in 3D formonths and have already considered which shows would work in 3D and which oneswouldn't. For example, Deadliest Catchwas referred to by several executives as a show that wouldn't work, as it wouldlikely make viewers seasick. As discussed in the Dec. 30 Broadcasting &Cable TechTalk (clickhere to listen), Chief Media Technology Officer John Honeycutt and otherDiscovery engineers have been evaluating "dimensionalization" technology fromseveral firms as a potential way to convert 2D archive content to 3D inpost-production, which would be more cost-effective than shooting new 3D farewith specialized cameras.

Sony and IMAX have already collaborated on 3D movies intheaters for years, and are natural technical partners for the venture. WhileSony is obviously making a big push on the 3D display side, following itsefforts in digital cinema projectors with a new line of consumer 3D HDdisplays, it is also heavily involved in 3D HD production technology.

Much of the 3D HD content shot in recent years has been donewith specialized rigs that incorporate Sony HDC-1500 cameras, including theJames Cameron movie Avatar and livebroadcasts of college football games produced last year by Fox and ESPN. Sonyis also expected to have a role in ESPN'snew 3D channel that was announced today, as it has already formed apartnership with FIFA to produce a number of 2010 World Cup matches in 3D.

"Sony is the only company with expertise in every part ofthe 3D value chain," said Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President ofSony Corporation, in a statement. "We are delighted to be partnering withDiscovery and IMAX, two premier companies also dedicated to leadership in 3D,in this groundbreaking new venture. It is clear to us that consumers willalways migrate to a better and richer entertainment experience, and together weare determined to be the leader in providing that around the world."

Who will carry the new 24-hour 3D channel remains to beseen. But the launch of a new DirecTV satellite last week has fueledspeculation that DirecTV will launch a 3D HD service next year, something 3Dinsiders have suggested privately for months. The blog HDGuru.comreported that DirecTV will use the new DirecTV 12 satellite to start an all-3DHD channel offering an assortment of movies, sports and programs in 3D, andthat it will announce the new service at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week.

According to the report, which cited unnamed sources,DirecTV's current HDTV boxes will receive a firmware upgrade to allow existingsubscribers to receive HD 3D programming that will be compatible with new3D-capable HDTV sets from Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, LG and other TV makers, aswell as existing Mitsubishi DLP sets that would require a 3D converter box. Allthe sets would require DirecTV subscribers to wear special glasses to view the3D content.

DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer wouldn't comment on the HDGuru.comstory. But in an email message, Mercer did allow that "3D is something we arevery interested in and we're looking at all of the various pieces of the puzzlethat need to be put together."

While 3D has created buzz in movie theaters, delivering itto the living room remains a challenge for multichannel operators. DirecTV isseen as the most likely U.S.pay-TV operator to launch a 3D service because it enjoys a national footprint,it has already deployed bandwidth-efficient MPEG-4 set-tops with powerfulprocessing chips, and moreover, it has already established the precedent ofselling expensive subscription packages like "NFL Sunday Ticket" to sportsaficionados. Nascent 3D fare could be marketed in a similar fashion.

Alex Weprin contributed reporting.

Broadcasting & Cable Newsletter

The television industry's top news stories, analysis and blogs of the day.

Thank you for signing up to Next TV. You will receive a verification email shortly.

There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.

No spam, we promise. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details without your permission.